Improvement in box and book-shelf



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D. LOT'HRP. BOX AND BMK-SHELF.

Patented July 24, 1.377.

l'hlewrer l NPETERS. PHOTOMTHOGRAPMEW. WASHINGTON D C UNITED Sfr-Arne DANIEL LOTHROP, 0F BOSTQN, .MASSAGHUSETTDH l MP ROV-'E MIENT N BZOX AN D yB00 K-S HE L'F.

S,pacification;forming` part of Letters .Patent.No. 193,339, ldated yJuly-24, .1877 AvapplicationI iled March 8, 1877.

v orShelves; andldo hereby declare that the following is a fnll,'.clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled infthe art towhich it appertainstozmake and use the same, reference being had to the. accompanyngdraWn-gs, `and lto the letters of reference marked thereomwhich .form ,a Apart of this` specification.

lMy invention relates to boxes adapted for holding and sending to market a set or series of booksr; and consists in a special construction of such boxes, whereby they are also adapted to be readily converted Vinto a set of ornamental bookshelves,,or a book-rack capable of holding several times as many books as the box can contain.

Figure l, Sheet l, represents a single box made in accordance with my invention; Fig. -2, the same, turned over, the bottom being removed to show the brackets and ornamental top pieces for the shelves, and Fig. 3 these parts converted into book-shelves. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, shows a double box; Fig. 5, the same, converted into shelves, and Fig. 6 an extra shelf and its uprights.

I first put together, in any well-known manner, the two side pieces a c and the two end pieces b b, so as to compose a box having, as yet, neither top nor bottom. The side pieces overlap a little the end pieces, and such overlapping edges are each grooved longitudinally, as shown at c c, in order that the top and bottom pieces d d and e may be slid therein, and when so inserted in these grooves the whole forms a box closed at all sides, and adapted to contain a series or row of books, and.v preferably having a height of space within the box in excess of the length or height of the individual books. This surplus space ai'ords room for placing within the box, before the books are packed therein, an ornamental back piece, f, and sides g g, for the top shelf of the bookrack, into which the box is convertible; and, if need be, itmay be large enough, also, for an additional shelf, h, and two uprights or supports, i, for the same, or for a pair of brackets, j, von-Whichgthe shelves may 'restafter securing such brackets toawall-of aroom.

The sliding bottom clandioneoffthe fsidessa have each two transverse grooves, vvk it, ,one near veach end, Land when lit is desired Sito change thense of thearticle .from va box .toga book-rack, this .bottomis Withdrawn.endwise .from the Agrooves c, and the t-wotoppieces d d .are each similarly Withdrawn `from :the grooves which held them to place, and the bottomless and toplessbox, beingnext .turned upon its side, affords tvvo .shelves for books. Then, by placing the `edges :.of the :pieces dl d in the vtransverse grooves .k k, formed in `one of lthe boards or sides a, .and `.placing upon the ends of d d Athe bottompiece'e--the lgrooves k k in which are adapted .to Vreceive their edgesa third shelf isiformed, `and the ornamental back lpiecefI and theside pieces g g may now be put to .placeby .their pins or dowels, or in any simple manner.

Brackets j j may accompany the box, and they and the ornamental pieces f and g g may all be given such shape and size that the whole of them may lie on the `bottom or side of the box beneath the books when the box is lled and closed. (See Fig. 3.)

On the same principle of construction, and without departing Vat all from the essence or Aspirit of my invention, still another shelf and its two corresponding uprights may be employed, and they may be packed With the books within the box. In such case this supplemental shelf would be a trifle shorter and narrower than those composing the box, and the transverse grooves would be positioned accordingly. But as it is designed to send my improved book-rack and its set of books to market inclosed within a strong paper box, such as is now usually'employed in the trade to contain a series of books, this supplemental shelf may be made of full length with the Wooden box, and placed on top of this box when closed, and all put together Within the paper box.

The box may be made double instead of single-that is, adapted for containing two distinct and separate series of books, as shown in Fig 4-the whole, except its top and bottom, being firmly fastened' together. Upon turning such box upon its side and removing its top and bottom pieces, it will be evident that the box itself affords three shelves or supports for books, and that upon putting to place thereon, in the manner above described, the two bottom pieces, and the four top or cover pieces to serve as uprights for the same, two for each shelf, there is at once produced a book rack having tive available shelves. When thus made double, one compartment, when the box is to be packed, may contain the ornamental pieces and the brackets, and the other` may contain an extra shelf or uprights, or both, if desired, such as are shown in Fig. 6.

The cheapness and simplicity of this invention will allow of its being provided by the book-seller without adding to the regular price of the same books furnished in the customary paper boxes, because the usefulness of the box as a book-rack, and its durability and ornamental character, will tend to enlarge sales sufficiently to warrant its being sent as a gratuity to every purchaser of the set of books, or of any books sufficient to fill the box.

I prefer to make the whole wood-work of blackwalnut, mahogany, or other neat or ornamental wood.

The uprights, or the grooves of the shelves which receive them, may have an almost imperceptible curve or a departure from a straight line, to secure a tighter fit when the uprights are inserted in such grooves, or they may be slightly dovetailed.

ACords may be used, if desired, to suspend the whole body ofshelves, such cord being at. tached to, or passing under, that board which constitutes the lowermost shelf.

The parts d d and e may constitute the upper instead of the lower shelf or shelves.

The pieces d d, which form the top of the box, and also serve as uprights, when required, may each have dowels and corresponding dowel-holes in their ends, so that they may iit closely together when employed as a cover, and when used as uprights these dowels may enter corresponding holes made in that portion of the box or board which forms a shelf. This may be, instead of the transverse grooves, made to receive the uprights. Such grooves when used may be dovetailed in shape, so that the uprights may dovetail therein.v

I claim- 1. The convertible box and book-rack described, having one of its sides separately removable, to form a shelf, and its opposite side composed of two pieces, d d, of equal length, also removable, to form uprights, these parts being adapted, in conjunction with the remainder of the box, to afford a set of bookshelves, all substantially as shown and described.

2. The convertible box and book-rack described, consisting of the sides a a., one or both having slots or channels k k, the ends b b, and the removable divided front d, the

Whole constructed and combined as and forV the purpose set forth.

DANIEL LOTHROP.

Witnesses: l

JOHN T. RYAN, C. S. PRATT. 

